Today in the mail arrived a model I have been most eager to see in person. The word from those that have held it in hand is that it may be the nicest Hot Wheels model big blue has ever done.

That is very high praise, considering the multitude of gems that has come from Hot Wheels, especially in the last few years. Having been a collector for a long time now, I don’t know what I would call the best model Hot Wheels has ever done. But I will say, now that I have it in hand, this one most definitely deserves some consideration.

First off, how did I acquire one of these? The old-fashioned way. I bought it on eBay. And to be honest, there aren’t many other ways. As I mentioned on the Matchbox GHE-O post last week, the Toy Fair models are not for the public. They are produced only for the toy preview Mattel conducts in the fall for major chain toy aisle buyers. It is one of the most important events Mattel does all year, and they go all out, including on the promotional model they hand out to attendees. This year, for Hot Wheels is was the Porsche.

That means, unless you are a vendor, or know one really well, the only way you will get one is if someone who attended decides to sell theirs on the secondary market. I have three Toy Fair models, and eBay is the way I got them all. There is no secret about it. You have to pony up a few dollars, but it is worth it if the model is one you want. And this Porsche? Hell yeah I wanted it.

I have a friend who was lucky enough to acquire one as well. We both noted that it is hard to NOT stare at this thing. Its deep gold color, the iconic black trim and “Porsche” tail lights, and the best use of those Real Riders that were last used in the Indy Racing series. For those who are familiar with his work, it is no surprise that the color and deco is the work of Steve Vandervate, an amazing designer and artist who is responsible for a large amount of the premium models released lately, including the RLC Gulf Series and upcoming Candy Striper Gasser.

Of course none of this looks good without Ryu Asada’s ridiculous casting. The 934 is, to me, Ryu’s best model since he moved to Hot Wheels from Matchbox. And that is saying a lot considering he is responsible for quite a few popular models. He captured not only every element of the legendary Porsche, he captured its essence. From stance to spoiler to silhouette, this model SCREAMS Porsche.

Whether or not this is the best model Hot Wheels has ever done is beside the point. It doesn’t matter. What this model is, as noted by my friend in our chat, is mesmerizing. That thing about not being able to stop staring at it? That is not how you usually describe a diecast car. It is how you describe a real car. That double take you do when you see a supercar zip by you? That specific type of acceleration you do to catch up to a cool car on the highway, making sure you can take in all the details without making the driver notice you are staring? The way a whole group of fanboys stop and stare when you pull into a car meet in Jay Kho’s Skyline? That is what I am talking about.

Thanks for the kind words everybody, and thanks to John for a beautiful presentation. It's always a pleasure to do the Toy Fair cars (I did both the 934 and COPO shown above, among many others), and even more so when they are so well received and presented by our collectors.

Mr. Vandervate,Kudos for the excellent work! You, kind sir, are a master with impeccable taste. Now just do the whole Hot Wheels collecting community an enormous favor and get those mesh Real Riders put on EVERYTHING!!! Seriously, I love these wheels so much and they are ENORMOUSLY under-utilized. Spread the word 🙂 Thanks again!